verb

disappear

dih-suh-PEER

verb

To vanish from sight; to stop being visible.

"The sun disappeared behind the clouds."

"Her keys seem to have disappeared from the counter."

To go missing, especially suddenly and without explanation.

"The witness disappeared before the trial began."

(transitive, informal) To make someone vanish, especially by abducting or killing them for political reasons.

"Journalists critical of the regime were sometimes disappeared."

How to Use Disappear

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo go out of sight or go missing — sometimes used, chillingly, as a transitive verb for making someone vanish by force.

Memory tip

Normally "disappear" doesn't take an object ("he disappeared"), but the political sense ("they disappeared him") is a well-known exception.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

disappear without a trace seem to disappear suddenly disappear

disappeared past tense, disappears singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The sun _____ behind the clouds.

From Middle English disapeeren, built from dis- + appear.

ear year dear hear tear bear wear near fear pear gear rear